Every year the Siouxland Libraries present their "One Book Siouxland" event. This Saturday, April 2, 2022, at the Downtown Sioux Falls Library (200 North Dakota Avenue) is the kickoff of the fifth annual celebration.

The book chosen this year is Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden. Winter Counts is set on the Rosebud reservation and is described as ---

A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx.-- Buzz Feed/Publisher's Weekly

"Winter Counts" is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that’s as deeply rendered as it is thrilling.- Amazon

This gritty thriller is filled with the twists and turns expected from a crime novel, but Weiden also offers deeper insight into racial identity and the violence that Native Americans face on a regular basis. -Electric Lit

It has also won more awards than you can imagine for "best first novel" from numerous literary organizations.

The list of positive and rave reviews for "Winter Counts" is a long, long one, but a few of them have come from; The New York TimesPublishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Lakota Times, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Siouxland Libraries' mission with this year's"One Book Siouxland" novel and celebration, is to bring cultures together.

Here is the "One Book Siouxland" schedule for Saturday:

11 a.m.-1 PM - Lawrence West's Watecha Bowl opens & you can purchase a great snack or lunch.
Noon - 1 PM - Native American artist Jerry Fogg, a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, and who lives in Sioux Falls, will discuss his extraordinary, award-winning art.
1-2 PM - Lawrence West (owner of Watecha Bowl) will speak about the role of food in Native American culture.
2-4 PM - World-renowned hoop dancer, Native American Flute Player, storyteller, and educator, Kevin Locke, of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, will share stories, dance, and play the flute.

For more information call the Downtown Sioux Falls Library at 605-367-8720.

Sources: David WeidenKevin Locke, Jerry Fogg, SDSU/South Dakota Art Museum, Lawrence West/Watecha Bowl, Siouxland Libraries, and Amazon.

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